The Twist of Fate Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: Saunders and his squad are sent on a mission to check out a farmhouse. What they find surprises them but not as much as what they find on their next mission.
1. Chapter 1

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

"The Germans are trying a new tactic to drive us out of the area."

Sgt. Chip Saunders sat next to Lt. Gil Hanley in the briefing room and tried not to yawn. Having just finished yet another scouting mission, his sleep had been disturbed by the summons to this meeting.

"What tactic is that Sir?" Hanley asked when no one else spoke up.

"They are sending out squads with specific orders to ambush our patrols. They kill as many as they can within the first few minutes and then they break off the attack before help can arrive. Until now we haven't been able to track them back to where they are hiding."

"Until now? Does that mean you've located them Sir?"

"We think so Lieutenant. That's what your squad is going to find out. I want you to send out your best squad with orders to take out that 'kill team' as they have been called."

"Yes Sir. Sergeant Saunders here will take his squad and check it out." Hanley smiled in Saunders' direction, giving him an apologetic shrug.

"Good Lieutenant. Sergeant, good luck. We want this matter settled as soon as possible. We don't want to give them time to strike again or time to move that camp."

"Yes Sir." Saunders replied, getting to his feet. He swayed slightly with exhaustion before catching his balance. "We'll leave immediately Sir."

"Good enough Sergeant. Sergeant Kasin will give you the map and the coordinates of the farm house where we think they're hiding. Lieutenant, I have another assignment for you, Sergeant Saunders will have to handle this one on his own."

"Yes Sir." Hanley acknowledged.

The Captain turned away, obviously dismissing Saunders as he began to outline the assignment he had for the lieutenant. He automatically returned the salute the sergeant gave him without pausing in his briefing.

First squad of K Company had been assigned an abandoned house as their quarters when the Army set up command in the town. The men were all sleeping peacefully until Saunders arrived.

"All right you goldbricks, time to saddle up!"

The shout brought stifled moans and mumbled complaints from the slowly stirring mass of bodies on the floor.

"We just got back Sarge." A sleepy voice objected.

"Can it Kirby, headquarters thinks you had enough sleep to last you a while. As long as they are paying you, they want their money's worth."

"Tell them to keep my pay for this week, I'm going back to sleep." The BAR man grumbled, rolling over and pulling his blanket over his head.

Saunders walked over and booted the blanket covered form.

"The rest of us get up, you get up. Move it Kirby!"

"All right, all right, it was worth a shot." Kirby groaned. Throwing his blanket aside, he climbed stiffly to his feet. "What have the great minds at headquarters concocted this time? What is so important that it can't wait and only first squad can handle it?"

"Quit your complaining and get ready to move out." Saunders growled. "Check your supplies; we'll be out at least two days." He told everyone.

"Are we walking Sarge?"

Saunders looked over at Billy Nelson with a grin on his face. "No Billy, we're taking a limo."

Billy's eyes got big. "Really Sarge?"

"No Billy, not really. Get moving, we have a long walk ahead of us."

"We ought to get paid by the hour." Everyone groaned as Kirby continued to complain.

"This rain keeps up and we could use a boat, eh?" Caje commented, taking the focus off of Kirby.

"At least it slowed down to a drizzle." Brockmeyer added.

"Move it!" Saunders growled.

The walk was long, and wet, and cold despite the constant movement. The entire squad was feeling the chill by the time they reached the area of the farm house. Periods of high winds and heavy downpours had slowed their travel. Though still light, the clouds were making it dim and gloomy. Saunders glanced up at the sky and got a face full of raindrops for his trouble. Realizing that darkness would come early, he pushed the squad to find the target while they could still see. Sending Caje ahead, the rest of them kept moving, creeping nearer to the coordinates that they had been given.

Brockmeyer, in the lead, suddenly dropped behind cover. Alerted, the rest of the squad followed his example. Saunders rose to his feet as he spotted Caje returning.

"It's ahead, in a clearing, about half a mile Sarge. There's cover from some trees for our approach and there is a crumbled stone wall on three sides. The trees come up pretty close to some out buildings in the rear. I saw two guards huddling close to the house trying to stay out of the rain."

The sergeant listened to the scout's report silently. He tried to picture the scene in his head, planning is next move. "All right, let's do this."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

The rain was falling gently now, accompanied by a slight breeze, nothing like the high winds and heavy rain that had rattled the roof of the old farm house for most of the day. It would be dark soon and the two German sentries huddled under the eaves for shelter as they waited for their shift to end. Trees from the nearby grove creaked and groaned as the breeze rubbed the branches against one another.

One of the guards stood and peeked around the corner of the building. Seeing nothing, he once more tried to fold himself into his small shelter to avoid the steady stream of water running off the roof.

The second guard, standing at the opposite corner, pushed himself tighter against the wall, trying to get out of the rain. He pulled the collar of his coat higher around his face, wishing, not for the first time, that he had not ripped his rain gear all to pieces while running through some brush. Tipping the muzzle of his rifle toward the ground to keep the rain out of the barrel, he crouched miserably against the wall, using it as a windbreak. His weapon was wet, making it slippery in his grip. He leaned it against the wall behind him while he blew on his hands to warm them.

Behind the guards, dry and warm in the farm house, the rest of their squad waited for the rain to stop.

Their leader, a lieutenant, poured over maps delivered only that morning by an SS captain. They supposedly contained all the latest information on American troop movements in the area.

"There are reports of American patrols in this area." He pointed to coordinates on the map for his sergeant. "If we were to move our operations there, we could surprise the Americans. While they are searching here, we could move about more freely there."

The sergeant nodded, liking the idea. An old hand at combat, he was uneasy staying in one place too long.

"There are also reports of patrols here and here." The lieutenant indicated two more places with potential targets.

"We already struck there Sir." The sergeant pointed out. "Don't you think that the Americans will be watching for us there?"

"Not necessarily Sergeant." The lieutenant argued. "We've never hit the same area twice. Perhaps they will expect us to continue that practice, therefore they won't be looking for another attack there."

"You could be right Sir. We would also have the added advantage of being familiar with the terrain from the earlier attack."

"Exactly Sergeant. Once it gets dark I want you to send scouts out to locate a target."

"Yes Sir." The sergeant answered, studying the map while considering possible faults in the plan. So far their 'ambush and run' tactics had brought them nothing but success. The sergeant only hoped that their good fortune did not make the lieutenant careless.

The lieutenant looked up from the maps as the SS captain entered the room.

"Are you certain that no one knows about this place?"

"No one followed us here Captain. My men are skilled fighters who know how to disappear." The lieutenant assured the officer. "We took a different route back each time and always leave men behind to watch for anyone following. The Americans have not followed us back to this building."

"For all our sakes, I hope you are correct Lieutenant." The captain replied coldly. "Headquarters has been very pleased with your success thus far. I suggest that you keep it that way." The captain wrapped his coat tighter around his body as he turned to leave. "Tomorrow I return to headquarters to make my reports. I recommend that you don't bring me any bad news before that time." With that final remark, the captain entered the room he had appropriated for his own use and slammed the door.

The lieutenant shuttered at the thinly veiled threat and tried to return his focus to the planning of his next attack. His sergeant had less success at hiding his true feelings for the captain.

"Careful Sergeant," the lieutenant cautioned, "it is not wise to let the captain know that you are not his biggest supporter."

The sergeant nodded his understanding and, giving the captain's door one last glare, he returned to discussing their next mission.

The fire in the fireplace crackled merrily as they plotted the death of even more American soldiers. The Germans cleaned and oiled their weapons and waited for their next opportunity.

Outside, the guards continued to take whatever measures they could to avoid the wind and the rain.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"There were two guards standing outside when I scouted the house earlier." Caje crouched next to Saunders as they studied the farm house.

"Well, I don't see any now." The sergeant responded, still searching the area around the building.

"Maybe they got cold and went inside." Caje suggested.

"Maybe." Saunders conceded. "Let's get back to the others." Scooting backwards, the two retreated to a clearing where the others waited.

"Caje, you and Kirby go around the back. Kirby, take the browning. The rest of us will fan out around the front and sides. We'll wait for your signal to attack. Your job is to make sure that none of them get out the back. Drive them out the front if you can."

"Right Sarge." Caje acknowledged. "What do you want to use as a signal?"

"Toss a grenade through the window. That ought to get their attention." Saunders decided.

Caje nodded and jerked his head at Kirby. Kirby shouldered his BAR and followed the Cajun in a circle around the house. They were making good time with the wind and rain helping cover any noise they made. Kirby was only steps behind Caje when he inexplicably froze in place. Caje paused when he noticed that Kirby was no longer following him.

"Kirby, what are you doing?" He whispered urgently.

Kirby stared at the house a moment longer before turning toward Caje. "Look over there by the wall. Do you see what I see?"

Caje looked where Kirby pointed and caught his breath. Stuffed between the stone wall and a pile of rocks was the body of one of the guards. The two men exchanged looks of disbelief, neither one of them sure just what they should do next.

"Over there." Kirby pointed again, this time toward the buildings behind the house.

Caje caught a brief movement of a slightly darker shadow between two of the buildings. He dropped to the ground, taking aim at the shadow.

"If that guy took out the guard, maybe he's on our side." Kirby suggested his attention on the shadow.

"You might say that." A new voice agreed.

Caje and Kirby spun to find a man dressed in dark clothing kneeling behind them. The gun he held was pointed off to the side.

"Hi Kirby, Caje, what brings you here?"

"Hitchcock!" Both men blurted in unison.

"Look guys, I'd love to stay and talk but I have to get back to Tully. Sarge and Moffitt are expecting us to watch their backs." Hitchcock flashed them a smile as he waited for their reaction.

"Is that Pettigrew over there by the building?" Caje indicated where they had seen the shadow.

"Yep." Hitchcock nodded. "He was supposed to keep your attention until I could find out who you were."

"Sarge and the others are surrounding the house. We have orders to kill or capture everyone inside." Caje explained to the blond.

Hitchcock glanced around quickly, searching for the rest of the squad. "Sarge and Moffitt are in there."

"Why?" Kirby asked.

"We have orders to capture an SS captain for interrogation. We tracked him to this house. Sarge and Moffitt went in to get him."

"That will work." Caje sighed in relief as he realized that they could work together. "Kirby and I are supposed to cover the back. Sarge is going to wait for us to give the signal to attack."

Hitchcock relaxed at Caje's explanation. "We'd better get back then. Sarge and Moffitt should be out soon. Follow me." He turned and led the way to where Tully blended into the shadows. He called out softly as they approached, warning Tully that they were friendly. "Look who I found."

Tully nodded at the newcomers, his ever present matchstick gripped in is teeth.

"They're going to help us guard the back. Their orders are to kill or capture everyone inside." Hitchcock told his friend.

"Do they know about Sarge and Moffitt?"

"They do now." Hitch responded.

"Okay."

"Find some cover and wait, it shouldn't be too long now." Hitchcock told the men of K Company.

And he was right, moments later there was movement from inside. A dark shadow slipped out of the window and reached back inside. A struggling German officer was shoved into the arms of the man outside. A second shadow crawled through the window and helped with the prisoner. Caje and Kirby watched as the three men hurried toward them.

Sam Troy came to an abrupt stop as he noticed the extra men. Seeing his own men appearing calm, he took a second look and was surprised when he recognized the men.

"If you have what you came for," Caje smiled at him, "we'll take it from here."

"Be our guest." Troy responded, confused as to what was happening.

"They're here for the rest of the krauts in the house." Hitchcock explained quickly. "They have the house surrounded."

"Our orders are to kill or capture all of them." Caje added. "Sarge isn't particular."

"Caje and I are supposed to start the show and cover the back." Kirby explained, hefting his Browning.

"What's the signal to start?" Moffitt asked.

"Sarge said to toss a grenade through the window."

"May I have the honor?" The British sergeant asked, his eyes asking Troy for permission at the same time.

"I wouldn't have a problem with that Sergeant." Caje answered as Troy nodded his okay.

Pulling a grenade from his belt, Moffitt pulled the pin. "Everybody ready?"

At the nods from the others, the sergeant ran back to the house, tossed the grenade through the still open window, and ran back to the others. Whatever he said on his return was lost as the grenade exploded.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

While King Company awaited the signal to begin the assault, Billy worked his way along the stone fence until he was close to Littlejohn.

"Hey Littlejohn, psst, Littlejohn."

"Yeah Billy?"

"How are we going to take these Germans if they don't come out?"

"Well, I'll tell ya Billy," Littlejohn explained calmly in a voice barely above a whisper. "If they won't come out after Kirby throws that grenade through the window, we'll just throw you in the front and let you kill the rest."

"Me?! I can't take all those krauts by myself!" Billy's voice rose in a panic.

"Hush Billy." Littlejohn cautioned. "Sure you can, haven't we been teaching you how to be a good soldier?"

"Well yeah Littlejohn," Billy whined, "but I can't take all those guys alone."

"Haven't you been paying attention to what we've been trying to teach you?" Littlejohn acted indignant. He rolled onto his side to face the smaller man.

"Sure I have!" Billy was quick to assert. "But I'm not ready to take on all those guys all by myself." Appalled at the idea of going in alone, Billy prepared to ask his larger friend for help.

"Okay, okay, don't get all worked up." Littlejohn replied. "I guess Sarge won't mind if we helped; that is, if you're sure that you want our help."

Billy nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah Littlejohn, that would be real good. I'd like that." He added as he smiled with relief.

"Okay," the big man agreed, "but you've got to pay attention this time. Sooner or later, you may have to do this yourself."

"I will Littlejohn, I promise." Giddy with relief, Billy was ready to promise almost anything.

Littlejohn smiled to himself before turning back to face Billy. "Keep your eyes on the house Billy; we don't want anyone getting past us."

"Okay Littlejohn."

Littlejohn grinned again as Billy dutifully concentrated on the front of the farm house. The two men lapsed into silence as they waited for the signal.

When it came, pandemonium reigned. The Germans tried to flee by way of the front door. The men of K Company drove them back, forcing them to retreat into the building. Not all of them made it inside.

One German soldier kept popping up at a window, firing a short burst, and ducking out of sight. Littlejohn tried to get him but the German was quick.

After yet another miss, Billy shouted over the noise to Littlejohn. "I'll get him!" He climbed to his knees with a grenade in his hand.

"Don't forget to pull the pin Billy!" Littlejohn took another shot at the German before glancing over at Billy.

"Aw Littlejohn," Billy hollered, "I'm not that green." He lobbed the grenade in a perfect arc at the window. It landed against the wall beneath the window with a sodden thud. Billy threw his hands over his head and ducked as Littlejohn did the same. They waited expectantly for the explosion. Nothing happened.

"Billy!" Littlejohn frowned at his friend.

"Darn it Littlejohn, you distracted me!"

Littlejohn tried to hide his smile as he twisted, rose to one knee, and fired at the grenade. He dove for cover as dirt, rocks, and wood splinters rained down on them. The fight ended shortly after the detonation. One by one the German guns fell silent.

Billy and Littlejohn rose to their feet to join the others in a search for survivors.

"Hey Billy," Brockmeyer called, "nice throw." He grinned as Billy reddened at the comment.

"Littlejohn distracted me!" Billy called back as the others laughed.

"Don't you worry Billy," Littlejohn patted his shoulder in a fatherly fashion, "we'll make a soldier out of you yet."

"That's if you don't get yourself killed first." Kirby added.

"You just worry about yourself Kirby. I'll look out for Billy." Littlejohn warned.

"Is something wrong here?" Saunders growled as he approached his men.

"No Sarge." They answered in unison.

"Hey Sarge, did you see who we found?" Kirby called, changing the subject.

"As a matter of fact, I did." Saunders confirmed. "Troy and his men are going to go back with us. They'll turn their prisoner over to headquarters."

Saunders entered the house and gathered all of the papers and maps he found. Tying them into a bundle, he took them to Sgt. Moffitt. Handing him the bundle, he indicated the papers. "I guess you'll be wanting these too."

The British sergeant glanced at the papers without speaking. His expression became more animated with each page he read. Finally he handed the papers back to Saunders after a glance at Troy.

"These are notes on all the bases in the area. Detailed descriptions of how they operate, how they ae armed, and troop strengths. You have a treasure trove of information there Sergeant, I'm sure that your superiors will be quite pleased when you deliver them." Moffitt smiled at the expression on the other sergeant's face.

"You don't want to take them in with your prisoner?"

"We had orders to capture this particular prisoner Sergeant. We've been chasing him for over a week." Troy nodded at the papers that Saunders held in his hand. "We don't know anything about those. We got what we came after; now all we have to do is deliver him safely."

Saunders tucked the papers into his jacket pocket under his poncho. "We got what we were after too. I guess these are just a bonus."

"Maybe you can use them as leverage to get some down time." Troy suggested with a grin. "We should have a few days coming after we deliver the prisoner."


	5. Chapter 5

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

"So, did they give you any down time for all that good information you brought in?"

Sam Troy stood outside the building being used as headquarters; as Saunders walked out he moved to join him.

"Huh, fat chance." Saunders snorted. "We have another patrol tonight. The captain wants us to check out another farm house. They think the Germans are using it as a base to spot our artillery. I guess we'll just have to get together some other time."

"Yeah," Troy agreed. "We got new orders too. They're sending us back with the prisoner. The intelligence guys want to debrief us personally. There was even some mention of another mission they want to discuss."

"You too huh?"

"No rest for the weary."

"When do you expect to leave?"

"The truck is due in a few hours."

"What are you going to do until then?"

Troy shrugged. "We were hoping to get some sleep. That is, if we can get some bunk assignments."

"You're welcome to share our humble abode." Saunders offered. "It has plenty of ventilation holes but at least the roof doesn't leak….much." After a moment he added another thought. "I'll have Littlejohn bang heads together until everyone agrees to keep it quiet so you can get your rest." The sergeant paused to look at Troy. "I guess Kirby was on to something."

"How's that?" Troy asked.

"You guys do spend a lot of time sleeping."

Troy laughed at the comment. "Not nearly enough Sergeant, not nearly enough." Troy laughed again as he thought about Kirby having to keep quiet while they slept. "Kirby is going to love this."

Saunders shook his head at the reception he expected to get from Kirby when he announced that Troy and his men needed sleep.

"Kirby did well at the farm house. He really stepped up and gave us some good cover fire once things got started."

"Don't tell Kirby that." Saunders warned. "His head is big enough already." Saunders turned a corner and led the way toward a dilapidated building. "Well, here it is, home sweet home." As they got closer to the abandoned house that had been assigned to first squad Saunders nodded toward the house. "Looks like your guys beat you here."

"Saves me having to find them." Greeting the men, Troy singled out his own team. "You'd better get some sleep, we're moving out in a few hours."

"The rest of you get some sleep too. We have another patrol scheduled for tonight." Saunders informed his men.

There was a groan from the men at the news.

"Can't some other squad take it?" Kirby questioned, glancing at his wet boots drying in front of the fire.

"Sure Kirby, if you don't want it, you just run right over to headquarters and tell them to give it to someone else." Saunders replied sarcastically.

Kirby frowned as several of the squad snickered. "It just seems like we're the ones drawing all the patrols."

"You'd be mad if you missed out on all of this action my friend." Caje bumped shoulders with Kirby. "Sitting around camp is boring, wouldn't you rather keep busy?"

"Yeah right." Kirby growled. "Get out of my way; I need to get some sleep."

Caje smiled at Kirby's gruff tone. Taking his blanket, he followed Kirby's example and found a place on the floor. The rest of the squad followed suit.

Two hours later Troy and is men quietly folded their borrowed blankets and placed them on a pile. Moving silently so they wouldn't wake the others, they gathered their gear and headed for the truck that would take them back to headquarters.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"Sgt. Saunders."

Chip Saunders awoke to the sound of someone calling his name. "Here." He answered sleepily.

"Change of plans Sergeant, you and your men are to leave immediately on your next patrol."

"Something wrong?"

"We have reason to believe that the Germans have another 'kill team' in the area. Headquarters suspects that they may be hiding in that farm house that you have been assigned to investigate."

Wide awake now, Saunders gathered his gear and picked his way through the slowly stirring bodies to the door. "What gives them that idea?" Lt. Hanley, who had delivered the message, beckoned him outside. The rain had stopped so he didn't need to retrieve his poncho. Saunders stepped out and followed the lieutenant away from the building.

"You and your squad are to find that farm house and report back to headquarters. If you find anything there, anything at all, radio a report back to headquarters. Give them the exact coordinates of the house and they will send an artillery barrage your way. Your job then will be to give the artillery target corrections. Don't let them stop until there is nothing left. Got it?"

"Got it Lieutenant."

The Lieutenant nodded his satisfaction and left. The sergeant watched him leave, wondering just what it was that the officer had left unsaid. It didn't escape the sergeant's notice that the LT had neglected to answer his question. Shrugging, he turned to go back to his squad.

"Hey Sarge, did Troy and his guys get off all right?" Kirby was trying to shove his feet into his wet boots. He glanced over at the sergeant as Saunders ducked through the doorway.

"Yeah, they left a couple of hours ago. Their ride was going to join up with some others, something about safety in numbers." Saunders glanced around at his men in various stages of readiness. "Move it, we have orders to move out immediately."

"That means we're already late." Caje observed dryly, knowing the way the Army worked.

"So saddle up already!" The sergeant ordered. "Where's Doc?"

"Here he comes now." Caje called as Doc appeared around the corner.

The squad collected their gear and filed out of the building. Forming a single line, they followed Saunders cross country toward their next target.

The rain started again as they walked. No one spoke, the fast pace Saunders set requiring all of them to be extra alert. Luckily for them, the wet leaves and brush muffled any sound they made, making it easier to travel stealthily.

At one of their breaks, Doc squatted on his haunches next to Saunders.

The sergeant looked up as the medic settled beside him. "Something wrong Doc?"

"I was wondering." The medic began slowly.

"Yeah?"

"Did you talk to Braddock today?"

"No." Saunders shook his head, wondering what the company runner had to do with anything. "I didn't even know he was in camp. Why?"

Doc looked around, making sure he couldn't be overheard. "I ran into him on my way back from the aid station." He hefted his pack and continued, " I was resupplying my pack."

"So?"

"He said he had just delivered a message to the captain."

"What does that have to do with us?" Saunders asked impatiently.

"Nothing really," Doc answered carefully, "it had more to do with Troy, Moffitt, Hitchcock, and Pettigrew." Doc nodded as Saunders turned to face him. "According to Braddock, headquarters lost track of them after they left here. He thought that we would like to know."

Saunders glanced around and lowered his voice. "Any idea what happened?" The sergeant chewed on his lip thoughtfully.

"Right now they're thinking that their truck broke down. Maybe once we're done here they'll let us take a walk to look for them."

"Yeah, maybe." The sergeant agreed quietly. "Okay Doc, thanks. I want you to keep this to yourself. I want the guys focused on the mission at hand for now."

Doc nodded, his concern plainly written on his face. The medic rose and went to check on the rest of the squad. "Hey Kirby, are those wet boots giving you blisters yet?"

"No, I'm okay." The BAR man replied slowly. "If this rain doesn't stop I'm going to be sprouting feathers and quacking. Even a duck would be ready for some sunshine." He complained.

"I hear you." Doc smiled and moved on to the next man.

Saunders made the decision to send Brockmeyer ahead to scout and give Caje a break. The cajun dropped back to just behind the sergeant.

"It was good seeing Troy and his guys again."

Saunders nodded absently.

"Things are never dull when they are around, that's for sure." The cajun tried again to get a response from the sergeant.

The sergeant shook his head slowly, his eyes still scanning the terrain around them. "Troy did say that they were a team built for action. I guess he was serious."

"What's going on Sarge?"

Saunders stopped to face Caje in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I saw Doc talking to you earlier. He looked worried before, but now both of you seem preoccupied."

"It's nothing." Saunders answered, licking his lips as he told the lie.

"Okay," Caje shrugged, "but if you need to talk, look me up."

"Nothing is wrong; I just need to concentrate right now." Saunders tried to explain his actions.

When Brockmeyer signaled a warning, Saunders checked his map. According to his calculations, the farm house they needed to check was just over the next hill. Motioning for everyone to proceed cautiously, he moved forward.

Brockmeyer pointed ahead as Saunders ducked behind cover beside him. An American truck was parked among the trees, covered with a camouflage net.

"See anyone?"

Brockmeyer shook his head no, not taking his eyes off the area in front of them. Saunders studied the truck as the rest of the squad surrounded them.

"Could they be using the truck to trick our patrols into letting them get close?" Caje wondered aloud after appraising the situation.

"Maybe that's how they disappear without being seen." Littlejohn suggested. "Maybe they dress in American uniforms and drive off in that truck, driving right past our search teams."

"Could be Littlejohn," Saunders spoke softly. "But the only way to find out is to go in there. Caje, take Kirby and make your way around the back. We can't get close because there isn't any cover up close. Luckily headquarters wants to use artillery for this one. We can stay back and let the 105's do the hard part. When they try to get out they won't have any place to find cover either. That gives us the advantage."

"You don't suppose we'll run into Troy and his guys here too do you Sarge?" Caje asked with a grin. To his surprise, the sergeant reacted to the comment with a frown that he tried to hide.

"Move out. The rest of us will take our positions around the front and the sides. Leave the sentries alone, we'll get them when the fight starts." Saunders abruptly turned and began assigning positions to the other men.

Kirby looked at Caje, who shrugged as he watched the sergeant. The scout jerked his head at Kirby and moved to take his position at the back of the house. Again they were grateful for the rain despite the discomfort it caused. The advantage if gave them outweighed the other concerns.

Separate from the others, they approached the building from the rear. There were no guards facing the back. It was a simple matter for them to find a good hiding spot well clear of the house where they could see anyone who tried to escape in their direction.

Kirby leaned the Browning against a tree and began to organize his gear. He carefully placed some spare ammunition for the weapon within easy reach. When the fight began, he knew he wouldn't have much time to dig it out of his pack.

"Kirby!"

Kirby looked up at Caje's urgent call. The scout was staring toward the house. Kirby looked in that direction and froze in shock.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

The front door of the farm house opened and several German soldiers walked out. They turned and pointed their weapons at the next group of men to step out.

Seven men staggered out into the light rain. Their uniforms were dirty and blood spattered, but clearly American. That is, three of them were. The other four were dressed in dark clothing that hid the dirt and blood stains more efficiently. The seven men were followed by more guards. Finally two officers stepped out into the cold rain.

Saunders recognized the four men in dark clothing easily, after all, he had seen them only hours earlier. They looked the worse for wear now, but there was no doubt as to their identity. He also recognized one of the German officers. The captain had been their prisoner earlier in the day, the very one that the Rat Patrol had been tasked with capturing and delivering to battalion headquarters.

The captain was laughing now, obviously pleased about the present situation.

"Well, I guess we know what happened to those guys, and where the Germans got the truck." Doc whispered his assessment from behind Saunders.

"Yeah, I guess we do."

"What now Sarge? Headquarters said to call in artillery and obliterate this place. What do we do?"

"We follow orders."

Doc's mouth dropped open in shock as Saunders growled his reply.

"What about those prisoners Sarge?"

Saunders looked away from the prisoners to grin at Doc. "I guess we'll just have to take them back." The gleam in his eyes was anything but humorous.

Doc swallowed hard at the implied threat. "How?"

"Brockmeyer, get me Caje and Kirby!" Saunders turned back to watch as the Germans herded the prisoners into the yard and forced them to their knees with their hands locked behind their heads. One by one the Germans tied their hands behind their backs.

Two German soldiers took off at a run in the direction of the hidden truck. As Saunders waited, he heard the truck start and watched it drive up to the farm house.

"Sarge?" Caje dropped down next to Saunders, followed by an agitated Kirby, and finally Brockmeyer.

"What are they saying?"

"They're sending them to German headquarters for more interrogation." Brockmeyer translated.

"That's what I thought." The sergeant nodded with satisfaction. "Caje, take Kirby, Littlejohn, and Billy; get ahead of that truck. There is only one road out of here so we know which way they are going to be going. Stop that truck and get those guys back. We'll call in the artillery strike to start at your first shot. Once you take the truck, bring it back here, I don't feel like walking home."

Kirby watched the Germans as they stood over their prisoners and smiled at the plan. "Can I take the driver?"

"Sure." Saunders agreed. "Save the captain if you can manage it without putting anyone at risk; it looks like he's planning on riding shotgun. Get going, they aren't going to be much longer."

"Right Sarge." Caje motioned for Billy and Littlejohn to follow as he and Kirby moved to get ahead of the truck.

Saunders turned back to watch the Germans as they prodded their prisoners into the truck.

With their hands tied behind their backs, the men couldn't pull themselves into the rear. One of the men fell, weakened by a wound that had been crudely bandaged. The Germans threw him bodily into the truck, showing no regard for his injury. The others could only attempt to cushion his fall and give him support to lean against.

Saunders could see the flash of anger on Troy's face even across the distance that separated them.

The Captain carried on an animated conversation with the second officer for several minutes. He then took his seat in the cab of the truck and called to the driver who waited beside the other soldiers. The rest of the soldiers watched as the American truck drove away before returning to the farm house. Unknown to them, hostile eyes followed their progress angrily.

"Did we get in touch with that artillery unit yet?" Saunders called without looking away from the house.

"Yeah Sarge, they have the coordinates; they're just waiting for you to say when."

"Tell them it will be any moment now, be ready." The sergeant listened as his instructions were relayed. "Brockmeyer, can you cover the back if I cover the front?"

"Yeah Sarge."

"All you have to do is keep them inside until the artillery hits the house."

"I've got it Sarge."

"Hurry up, Caje will only have a short lead on them."


	8. Chapter 8

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 8

"Hurry up Billy!" Littlejohn coaxed.

"I'm going as fast as I can." Billy whispered back breathlessly. "Are we going to make it?"

"We have to." His friend replied. Ahead, Caje and Kirby set the pace, looking for a good place to set up an ambush.

Billy breathed a sigh of relief as Caje paused and motioned for them to take up positions along the sides of the narrow road. In the distance behind them they could hear the low rumble of the truck headed their way.

"Littlejohn, you and Billy handle the guards in the back. Kirby will take the driver. I'll try to take the captain alive. We don't take chances," Caje warned, "kill them all if you have to."

The others nodded in complete agreement.

Billy crouched behind a tree and tried to make himself smaller. He wondered how Littlejohn managed it. When he glanced across the road he couldn't see any sign of the larger private. Taking deep breaths to slow his heartbeat, he tried to relax and steady his shaking hands for the upcoming battle. Taking out a guard in a truck full of prisoners meant he couldn't afford to miss.

The minutes ticked by feeling more like hours. He could hear the truck coming closer but it seemed to be moving in slow motion. His mind conjured up scenarios where everything went wrong. Shaking his head angrily, Billy reminded himself that he was not alone, and everything would be fine.

His breathing evened out and he began to picture the truck in his head. In his mind he could see the guards sticking their heads out to investigate when Kirby shot the driver. His imagination showed the first guard fall as Littlejohn got his man. He could even picture the second one dropping lifelessly as he hit his target. Reassured, he waited for the truck to pass him and reach Caje and Kirby.

In reality, things did not go as Billy had imagined. The truck driver did drive past him unaware of the trap waiting among the trees. Kirby took out the driver, not with his Browning, but with a single shot from his rifle. The truck lurched to the side and ran into the brush along the side of the narrow road. Billy spotted Kirby racing for the cab to check on the driver. He heard Caje shout for the captain to surrender. The whine of the artillery shells overhead drown out whatever the captain may have answered.

Billy tensed, waiting for the guards in the back to stick their heads out. There was no movement at the tailgate of the truck. Billy glanced across the road to see Littlejohn cautiously creeping toward the truck. The sounds of the artillery landing was loud even al this distance. There was rifle fire from the vicinity of the farm house. Billy tried to ignore everything but the truck in front of him. He joined Littlejohn in approaching the stopped vehicle.

Caje was still telling the captain to surrender. Billy heard Kirby shout that the captain was unconscious. The two guards in the rear still had not made an appearance. Billy watched as Littlejohn prepared to move the tarp aside with the barrel of his rifle.

"All clear in here." A voice Billy recognized as Sergeant Troy's called from inside the truck.

Littlejohn pulled the flap aside and peered in. A big grin split his face at the scene inside. Billy stepped up to look inside. Sam Troy sat on one of the guards while Pettigrew sat on the other. Both Germans appeared to be unconscious. A dark bruise on the side of the guard's face beneath Troy's leg explained his condition. The second one was not visibly bruised but Billy was willing to bet a weeks pay that the second one would have a similar reason for his present state.

Littlejohn climbed over the tail gate and pulled his knife. With a few short slices he had all the ex-prisoners free of their bonds. Troy and Moffitt grabbed the guns dropped by the guards as Pettigrew and Hitchcock looked for something to tie their hands.

Kirby struck his head in the back a moment later. "Is everybody okay?" His eyes checked the released prisoners for injuries.

"Walker was hit when we were captured." Moffitt indicated the injured soldier who had fallen while being loaded. "I did what I could with what I had but it wasn't much. Doc wouldn't just happen to be around here somewhere, would he?"

"Yeah," Kirby smiled, "he's back at the farm house."

Moffitt tilted his head at the sounds of the artillery that had slowed but not stopped. "I do hope he had enough sense to stay clear."

"Sarge is with him." Kirby grinned as if that explained everything.

"What's the plan?" Troy asked, eying the others.

"Sarge called in artillery to wipe out the farm house. He stayed behind to call in corrections and to make sure none of those krauts get out. Our orders are to bring the truck back and pick them up."

"Sounds good." Troy remarked, sounding tired. He managed a smile as he saw Caje pushing the captured German captain toward them. "And I see that the captain has decided to rejoin us."

"He's all yours Sergeant." Caje responded, handing the prisoner over to Troy.

Troy grinned again. "Then maybe we should head back before Saunders thinks we left without him." The shelling had stopped completely now, leaving the woods in a welcomed silence.

"Yeah," Billy smiled. "Since we started working with you guys, I've sort of gotten used to riding home from an op."

Hitchcock and Pettigrew finished tying the guards and moved to the rear of the truck. They stood watching the others discuss their plans.

"Thanks for the rescue." Hitchcock called out.

Kirby snorted before the others could respond. "Somebody has to look out for you kids, Littlejohn has his hands full keeping an eye on Billy."

The others laughed but nobody argued the point.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Twist of Fate Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

Once Saunders gave the order to start the artillery barrage all thoughts of the others were temporarily forgotten. The shells whistled through the air and landed just past the house. Brockmeyer, guarding the rear of the building, dove for better cover. Saunders called in a correction that had the second shell hitting short of the target. That round sent him diving for the shelter of some rocks. Brockmeyer opened fire as the Germans tried to escape through the back door. He drove them back in and they made an attempt to get out the front. Saunders sent them ducking with a burst of fire from his Thompson. The Germans fought back, a rifle barrel poking out of a window.

The third round of artillery hit the front of the house and the yard. Saunders gave them the go ahead and the artillery men opened fire with everything they had available.

Brockmeyer pulled back, letting the shells do their job. Saunders watched the house disappear to be replaced by a smoldering pile of rubble. After the initial attempt, the Germans had abandoned their escape attempts and tried to ride out the attack in the shelter of the building. It hadn't worked out well for them.

The sound of the truck returning reminded the sergeant of the other front of this assault. Calls from Caje told him that the truck was once more in friendly hands. Keeping under cover, he approached the returning men.

"Check out the house. Make sure there aren't any survivors hiding in a basement or something. Artillery is waiting for final confirmation.

His men nodded and turned to obey. The sergeant continued toward the truck. He was relieved to see that the men dropping out of the back looked injured but not seriously.

Sam Troy nodded as Saunders approached, glancing at the farm house quickly. "Looks like you made your point; they'll know you're serious about wiping out these squads."

"Hopefully this is the last one; they've been taking a toll." Saunders looked toward the house. His men were searching the ruins for any signs of survivors. "We weren't expecting to run into you here." He turned back to Troy. "What happened?"

Troy frowned as he glanced around at the men standing behind him.

"We left headquarters with the intention of joining up with a convoy headed for battalion. The driver and the guard were not looking for trouble that close to headquarters. Maybe they got a little careless, I don't know, but the next thing we knew, there were Germans shouting at us to get out of the truck. The driver, Pfc. Walker, tried to make a run for it. Moffitt did what he could for him, but Doc is working on him now."

"Serious?"

"He lost some of blood but he should make it okay. Did you radio headquarters and let them know that you rescued us?"

"Not yet, I wanted to hear your story first." Saunders paused as Kirby walked up behind him.

"Looks clear Sarge. There's no sign of any basement or underground shelter of any kind. We found five bodies so far and the guys are still looking."

The sergeant nodded. "Give it another few minutes, if you don't find anything we'll head home."

"Okay Sarge."

Turning back to Troy, Saunders considered his next words. "I'll have to tell headquarters that we found you here. They know you didn't meet up with the convoy. What you want to tell them about your capture is up to you. Maybe getting everyone back alive, along with the prisoner, will help soften the reaction."

"I'm not worried Sergeant. After all, you got the truck back too." Troy grinned at Saunders.

The ride back to camp was a quiet one. The seven rescued prisoners were exhausted after their ordeal. Doc sat next to Pfc. Walker to monitor his vital signs as he slept. The others soon fell asleep too, sleeping the sleep of the exhausted.

"Sleeping again." Kirby snorted as he watched the others.

"I guess you were right about them Kirby." Caje nodded toward the sleeping privates.

"Nope." Kirby answered. "They did okay." He glanced around the truck to see if anyone was listening. No one was paying any attention to the two of them. Leaning closer to Caje so he wouldn't be overheard, he continued in a whisper, "Even Billy."


End file.
